Tiger, that's one of those open-ended, individual needs-dependent questions that is probably better suited for one of the regular Glock Talk threads than the short answers the GATE forum is geared for.

But, what the hell, I'll give it a shot, so to speak...

If I lived on Kodiak Island, it would probably be something on the order of a .44 Magnum with hard-cast 320 grain SSK bullets, or maybe a .454 Casull or even a .500 Magnum Smith. Most likely my S&W 629 Mountain Gun with the SSKs, though.

Since my particular personal needs revolve around home defense, personal defense, teaching same, and competition (mostly IDPA, GSSF, and some PPC and pin/plate shooting), a .45 auto would be my most likely choice. I'd need accuracy, power, and speed (Colonel Cooper was right on that) and reasonable size and weight for 24/7 carry. I suspect my "finalist choices" would include my Glock 30, my SIG P220, and one or another of my custom 1911s...

But all our needs, and therefore our choices, will vary, and that's why the whole rest of the Glock Talk forum is for folks to ask for lots of opinions!

My sincerest apology for the open-ended form of the question. I tried to edit it several times for brevity before submitting it but finally decided the last version was the least cumbersome, but I do get your point.

I suppose if I had to re-phrase the question it would read more along the lines of "how would you recommend someone go about deciding what was the best handgun to serve for his/her individual personal handgun needs?, i.e. what should be the best way to choose a gun for these purposes, what are some of the questions a person needs to ask themselves before entering the gun store, etc.?"

Thanks for taking the time to give your answer, even though my question was so very open ended! With that, I'll take my questions to the forums...

Each of us has different perceived needs, sometimes only subtly different, sometimes profoundly different.

First question I'd ask is, "What will the gun be used for?" Home defense? CCW? Both? If it's only one gun, something like the XD Subcompact with short barrel and 13 round 9mm mag in a short butt will be great for concealment, and will take a sleeved full-length magazine for more round count and a more hand-filling grip when taken out of the holster and put at bedside in the HD role.

Second, what secondary purposes will it be used for? If I was a bullseye shooter, I'd choose an accurate, all-steel 1911 .45 that I could use in centerfire, .45, and Distinguished events, and in .22 events with my Marvel conversion unit. If GSSF was my game instead, a Glock would definitely get the nod. And cetera.

We have a lot of members who live on farms where predator control is the main reason for their daily carry of a sidearm. Elmer Keith's big sixguns saved him once or more from rogue livestock on the range. We have folks who hike in bear country. For them, the .44 Magnum might make a better daily tool of survival.

Other factors will include the shooter's training and experience, which helps determine how much power he or she can handle. Someone who has spent a lifetime habituating to, say, a 1911 platform probably wouldn't want to throw it away and start from ground zero with a new platform for their one and only handgun.

Is the gun for the purchaser alone, or will it be used by or accessible to a life partner? If the latter, make sure it's something that this second person can handle well, with good hand fit and comfortable manipulation.

An intensely individual decision, which is why kicking it around among lots of individuals whose needs might be closer to yours than mine are, may do you more good than my lone opinion.